Filter



No. al-7,8m. Patentedlamglz. maar.

FILTER.

l I (Application filed Dec. 31, 1897.) l

(N0 Model.) v 5 Sheets-Sheet l.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented 1an. I7, |899.

F. AGGE W. B. NYE.

FILTER.

(Application led Dec. 31, 1897.)

r(No Model.)

Nur www- .a

No. 6I7,870. f Patented lan. I7, |899. F. AGGE & W. B. NYE. FILTER.

(Application led Dec. 31, 1897.)

(No Model.) l 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

F. Aena e. `w. B. NYE.

(Application led Dec. 31, 1897.)

Patented 1an. I7, |899.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

No. M2870. l Paiene lah. l7,l3%. F. GGE W. B. NYE.

F ILTEE.

(Application led Dec. 81, 1897.) v (N0 Model.) v 5 Sheets-$heet 5.

WITNEEEEE INVINTDRS www 'T' EN' 4MM ATT'Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN`AGGE, OF SALEM, AND )VALTER '13. NYE, OF BROOKLINE, MASSA- CIIUSETTS, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO TIIE NEW YORKT FILTER MANVFAC'IURING COMPANY, OF NElV JERSEY.

FILTER.

.SPECIFIATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,870, dated January 1,7, 1895. Application led December 31,1897. Serial No. 664,899. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANKLIN AGGE, of Salem, county of Essex, and WALTER B. NYE, of Brookline, county of Norfolk, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Filters, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

xo This invention relates to filters, and is herein shown as embodied in a filter of the class shown and described in United States Patent No. 404,236, dated May 28, 1889, in which a revolving agitator is employed to loosen up the filter-bed, and thereby facilitate the removal of sedimentary or foreign 'matter from the filter.

This invention has'for one of its objects to provide simple and efficient means for oper- 2o ating the agitator, whereby the latter may be actuated with a minimum amount of power and at a minimum expense in a filter of increased capacity.

Another feature of this invention consists in an eiiicient and novel construction of the filter tank or vessel, as will be described. A

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a section and elevation of a filter embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a sectional detail, on an enlarged scale, of the lower portion of tle tank or vessel shown in Fig. 1 ;v Fig. 3, a detail in plan of a portion of the filter tank orvessel shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a-

sectional detail to be referred to, -the section vbeing taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a detail on an enlarged scale, in section and elcvation, of a portion of the agitator-operating io mechanism; Figs. 6, 7, and 8, details to be re- -ferred to; and Figs. 9, 10, and' 11, details of th'e'valve -mechanism for controlling the operation of the agitator, to be referred to.

The tank or vessel A, of circular form and 45. of a novel construction, as will be described, contains within it a filter-bed a, of sand or other suitable granular material, which is adapted to be loosened up by means' of an agitator, which may be of substantially the construction shown in the patent referred to, 5o and consists of a series of radial arms c', radiating from a hub c2 andhaving depending teeth a3. The hub a2 in accordance with this invention is fast on a piston-rod a, having its upper end extended through a suitable 55 bushing or hub a5 (see dotted lines, Fig. 1) in an opening in a cross-bar a6, forming part of the support for the operating mechanism for the agitator.

The piston-rod a4 is provided at its upper 6o end with a piston a7, preferably of the form or construction herein shown (see Fig. 7) and which will be hereinafterV described. The piston 0.7 is adapted to be reciprocated in a cylinder a8, which preferably forms part of lthe rotating mechanism for the agitator.

In the present instance the cylinder as has secured to its lower end (see Fig. 1) a substantially large gear a9, driven by a pinion am on a shaft 1112, provided witha gear als in mesh 7o with a pinion 0.14 on a shaft ck", constituting a main ordriving shaft, and provided with a driving-pulley am and asuitable clutch mechanism 0,17. y

The piston a7 is movable longitudinally 1n 75 its cylinder and may and preferably will be provided at substantially diametrically opposite points with radial lugs or projections als, extended beyond the circumference of the piston and into suitable guideways d20,y extended 8o longitudinally of the' cylinder a8.

The radial lugs or projections als and the guideways aio form a positive connection be.- tween the piston a7 and the cylinder a8, Whereby rotation of the said cylinder may effect rotation of the piston without interfering with its reciprocation in said cylinder.

The piston a7 may and preferably will be4 rendered liquid-tight in the cylinder as by means of suitable packing cups or rings b b', 9o secured to the opposite faces of the said piston by metal rings or plates 112123, fastened to the said piston by bolts b4 b5.

The piston aT is adapted to be reci procated in-the cylinder a8 by means of Water or other 95 fluid admitted into the cylinderv at its opposite ends.` The cylinder as may and preferably will be provided, as shown lin Figs. 5

and 6, with a raised cap or cover 113, forming a chamber 117, provided with a 4water-inlet pipe 113, preferably of the construction herein shown and constituting a cylindrical Valve. The inlet-pipe 113 is vertically movable in the cover or cap 110 and is provided at its upper end with a flange 110 and in its sides near its lower end with a series of ports or openings 1110, and the said inlet-pipe is preferably provided with a bottom zhaving a substantially large port or opening with which cooperates a ball-valve 1112.

The inlet pipe or valve 118 extends into a chamber 1114, with which communicates a passage 1115 in a divided pipe 1113, which latter is extended through a chamber 1117, with which communicates a passage 1113 in the divided pipe 1110. The passage 1113 communicates with the chamber 1117 through a port 1110in the pipe 1110, and the chamber 1111 is connected by a pipe 1120 with the cylinder a3 near its bottom and below the piston therein. (See Fig. l.)

The passages 1115 1118 arev adapted to be alternately connected to a liquid supply and discharge pipe, as will be described. The liow of water into the cylinder a0 may and preferably will be controlled by a suitable valve mechanism, which may be located in any place convenient to the operator. to 11, inclusive, is shown a form ot' valve mechanism preferred by us and which consists of a casing w, provided with ports w w3 w3 104, controlled by Aa valve w3, which is rotated or turned by a lever w1. The ort 'w' has connected to it a supply-pipe w. The4 port 1112 is connected by pipe w1 to the passage 1113, the' port 1114 by pipe 1110 to the passage 1113, and the port w3 has connected to it the Wastepipe w10. The valve 105 is shown as in its closed position, and at such time the piston a0 is stationary. When the lever '100 is turned so that it points to the Word Down, Fig. l0, the valve w3 is turned so as to connect the supply-pipe w7 with the passage 1114 through the pipe w3, and water or other fluid is` admitted into the chamber 111, from which it ows through the inlet-pipe 113 and ports 1110 into the cylinder above the piston. At the saine time the pipe '200 is connected with theV Waste-pipe w10. When the lever wis turned so that it points to the word Up, the sup ply-pipe Iw7 is connected to the passage 1113 through the pipe w11, and water is admitted into the chamber 1117 through the port-1110,

lss

and from said chamber it fiows through the pipe 1120 into the cylinder a3 below the pis; ton a7. By this movement of the lever 'w3 the pipe w3 is connected with the waste-pipe w10.Y

NVhen the water is admitted into the cylinder above the piston a7, the latter is moved downward in' its cylinder and the agitator is carried down with it and the teeth 'a0 of the 1atter are inserted into the filter-bed, As the piston a7 is moved down in its .cylinder the water in the cylinder below the piston is forced out through the pipe 1120 into the chamber 1117, from which it iiows through the port In Figs. 9V

1110, passage ,1113, pipe -w0, and valve-casing w to the waste or discharge pipe w10. When the flow of water is reversed and it is admitted into the cylinder below the piston, the latter is moved upward in its cylinder and the agitator is lifted out of the filter-bed. When the piston is moved upward in its cylinder, the water therein above the piston is forced out through the inlet-pipe 113 through the port in its bottom, the ball-valve 1112 being lifted from its seat and into the chamber 1111, from which it flows through the passage 1113, pipe w3, and valve-casing 'LU to the waste or discharge pipe w10. v

It is desirable that the agitator should be kept elevated above and out of contact with the filter-bed during the process of filtration, and as the water acting on the under side of the piston might leak by the piston into the cylinder above the piston which is connected With the discharge or exhaust pipe We prefer to mechanically suspend the piston in its elevated position. This result may and preferably willbe accomplished by an automatically-operated locking device, preferably of the construction herein shown (see Figs. 5 and 6) and consisting of two levers 113011,31, loosely mounted on pins or rods 1132 1133, supported in the sides of the cap 110 and provided at one end with hooks 1134 b35 to engage eyebolts b3 1137, attached to the top of the piston a1. The levers 1130 1101 have their long arms extended into line with the movable inlet pipe or valve 118 and are adapted to be turn ed on their pi-votpins 1112 1133 by said inletpipe to unlock the piston and to be turned in the opposite direction to lock the piston by means of suitable springs 1140, only one of which is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 0. The springs 1110 have one end engaged with the levers 1130 1131 and their other end fastened to the cap 110, as shown in Fig. 6.

By an inspection of Fig. 5 it will be seen that when the water is admitted into the chamber 1114 the inlet-pipe or piston-valve 113 is forced down by the water and acting on the long arms of the levers 1130 1131 turns the latter on their pivots and disengages the hooked ends of said levers from the eyebolts 1130 1137 and moves the said levers into the position represented by full lines, Fig. 5. The locking-levers 1130 1131 are maintained in this position as long as the Water-pressure is on the inlet pipe or valve 113; but when the pressure of the water is transferred to the under side of the piston, as above described, the pressure is removed from the inlet pipe or valve and the springs 1110 turn the locking-levers into line with the eyebolts 1130 1133, so that when the piston a7 reaches the end of its upstroke the locking-levers are automatically engaged with the eyebolts and lmechanically support the piston and the agitator in their elevated position, thereby insuring the removal of the teeth of the agitator from contact with the filter-bed during the process of filtration.

.By means of the positive connection be- ICO IIO

tween the piston a7 and its cylinder, effected, as described, by the radial lugs extended from the circumference of the piston into the longitudinal guideways in the cylinder, the said cylinder and piston form part of the rotary driving mechanism for the agitator, which construction reduces the friction caused by the reciprocation of the piston to such an extent as to enable the size or area of the filter bed to be largely increased and the toothed agitator-arms to be correspondingly lengthened without increasing the power required to rotate the agitator, so that a minimum amount of power is required to rotate the agitator in a filter of maximum capacity. So, also, the reduction in friction referred to enables the piston and its attached agitator to be raised and lowered while in rotation with a minimum amount of Huid-pressure.

Another feature of this-invention consists in an improved construction of the filter tank or vessel and of the well extended up through the filter-bed.

The filter tank or vessel is provided with a bottom composed of a series of sectional eollecting trays or pans radiating from and connected to a central well, which is provided with two distinct chambers c c. The chamber c is formed, as shown, by a substantially large cylinder c2 and the enlarged mouth or upper part of a pipe c, to which the cylinder is secured, as by bolts (1X, the pipes c4 being extended down into and laterally through the chamber c', which is formedby a cylinder c5 integral with the pipe o4. The cylinder c5 is provided with a flanged opening c, to which is bolted or otherwise secured a pipe c7, and at its upper end the cylinder c5 is provided with a substantially thick annular fiange o8, which rests upon a wooden or other bottom wall of the tank or vessel, as shownin Fig. '2. In the present instance the bottom wall of the tank or vessel is represented as formed by two layers ci (310 of wood, which rest upon brick or other supports om, set upon a foundation cl3 of cement or other suitable solid material. The thickened flange c is provided with suitable ports or passages C15, which communicate with the chamber 'c' a'nd with which are connected the collecting pans or traysv forming the bottom proper for the filter tank or vessel. The trays referred to may and preferably will be made as herein shown and consist of a bottom plate el, inclined down-A ward from its outer end toward its inner end, and upright side walls c17 01S (see Fig. 4) and an upright outer rim 019. (See Fig. 2.) The trays or pans may be provided with one or more longitudinal upright ribs or webs c2", upon which rest cross-bars 021, which serve to support the foraminous or perforated top 022 for the said tray or pan. The top 022 may and preferably will be made in sections of plates or strips of copper, brass, or bronze provided with substantially fine perforations, some only of which are shown in Fig. 3. The upright side-walls c17 cls of the collecting-traysy are preferably made so that their upper edges are in a substantially horizontal plane with the upper edge of the rim c, so as to support the perforated top 022 in a horizontal plane and thereby form a-horizontal surface, upon which the filter-bed a may rest.

The upright side walls c17 cl of the trays converge from the outer rim el" toward the inner end of the tray (sce Fig. 3) and are extended into or connected with the ports or passages c in the thickened fiange ci. The radiating trays, with their perforated or foraminous tops, form radiating sections of the perforated supporting-bottom for the filterbed and are preferably arranged about the central well, so as to leave radiating spaces between them, in' which are placed pipes e30, which communicate at their inner end with the chamber c through ports or passages of" in the thickened flange as and which communicate at their outer ends `with curved castings or gutter-wells (1, arranged in a circle about the lower part of the tank or vessel A pieces (1', preferably of wood and of substantially the thickness of the gutter-castings, so as to form with` the inner side of said castings a substantially smooth continuous circumferential inner wall for the lower part or half of the tank or vessel A, containing the 9o and separated by spaces,which are filled with filter-bed, and in close proximity to which the outermost teeth on the radial arms of the agitator may travel in the filter-bed, thereby insurin g efficient washing of the filter-bed near the walls of the filter-tank. The gutter-castings form circumferential wells and extend above the filter-bed,so as to connect the water-space above the filter-bed with the chamber c of the central well. The collectingtrays of the sectional bottom and the pipes 030 are embedded in a substantially thick layer of cement (11", as shown in Fig. 4.

The pipe c4 has bolted or otherwise secured to it a pipe bottom of the filter-tank to the outside thereof, and the said pipe is provided with a suitable cut-off valve V(113, (see Fig. 1,) adapted to be operated by a valve stem or rod (1, and vwith a branch pipe (115, (indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 1,) which is provided with a valve 011, operated by a stem or rod L11".

The chamber c' of the central well has connected to it the pipe c7, extended in a substantially opposite direction below and beyond the filter, and this pipe is provided with a valve (12, having an operating stem or rod (112, which is extended below the IOO (121, and with a branch pipe 522, (indicated by pipes c3 and gutter-wells d.

tion, substantially as described.

and the valve dm in the branch pipe d being closed,) through the pipe c4 and upper chamber o of the center well, and also through the The unfiltered water percolates through the filter-bed into the collecting pans or trays, from which it iiows through the ports 015 into the lower chamber o of the central well, and from this chamber it passes through the outlet-pipe c7, the valve d being open and the valve e123 in the branch pipe d22 being closed.

`When it is desired to wash the filter-bed, the valves (Z13 d20 are closed and the valves (116 dz in the branch pipes 115 CP2 are opened, and filtered water is forced through the pipe c7 into the chamber c', thence through the ports 015 and collecting-trays into and up through the filter-bed, which at this time maylbe loosened up by the agitator, and after passing through the filtered bed the Wash-water, with the impurities`,passes down through the chamber c of the central well and also into said chamber through the gutter-wells dand pipes e30, thence through the pipes c4 0112 and branch pipe (115 to the sewer or other depository for the wash-Water. When the filter-bed has been thoroughly washed,the agitator is raised the valves dw C123 are closed, and the valves 0113 d20 again opened.

IVe have herein shown and described the filter-tank as provided with a bottom composed of a series of sectional pans or trays having foraminous tops to support the filterbed and communicating with a central well;

-but such construction is not herein claimed, as

it forms the subject-matter of a divisional application, Serial No. 695,280, iled by us November 2, 1898.

We claiml. In a tilter,.the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank or vessel, a filter-bed contained therein, an agitator for said lter-bed, a piston connected to said agitator to move the same, a cylinder in which said' piston is reciprocated, and mechanical means to rotate said agitator and piston independent of the iuid employed to reciprocate said piston, substantially as described.

2. In a filter, the combination of the following instrumentalities, Viz: a tank or vessel, a filter-bed contained therein, an agitator for saidtilter-bed, a piston connected to said agitator to move the same, a cylinder in which said piston is reciprocated, means to rotate said cylinder, and means to connect said piston to said cylinder to rotate therewith and f yet permit said piston to reciprocate in said cylinder, substantially as described.

3. In a filter, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank or vessel, a filter-bed contained therein, an agitator for said filter-bed, a piston connected to saidagitator to move the same, a cylinder in which said piston is reciprocated, and means to mechanically lock said piston-at the Vend o f its stroke with the agitator in its elevated posi- 4. In a filter, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank or vessel, a filter-bed contained therein, a water-inlet pipe extended upward through the bottom of the tank or vessel and above the surface of the filter-bed, a vertically movable and rotatable agitator in said tank or vessel, a piston connected to said agitator, a cylinder in which said piston is adapted to be reciprocated to raise and lower said agitator, and means to effect rotation of said agitator independent of said water-inlet pipe, substantially as described.

5. In a filter, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank or vessel, a filter-bed therein, a vertically movable and rotatable agitator in said tank or vessel, a piston connected to said agitator and provided with radial projections or lugs, a cylinder for said piston provided with longitudinal guideways in which said lugs or projections extend, and means to rotate said cylinder, substantially as described.

6. In a filter, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank or vessel, a filter-bed therein, an agitator for said filterbed, a reciprocating piston connected to said agitator, a cylinder for said piston provided withy fluid-inlets at or near its opposite ends, and an automatic mechanical locking device for said piston in its elevated position, substantially as described.

7. In a filter, the combination of the follow ing instrumentalities, viz: -a tank or vessel, a ilter-bed therenan agitator for said iilter bed, a reciprocating piston connected to said agitator, a cylinder for said piston provided with fluid-inlets at or near its opposite ends, an automatic mechanical locking device for said piston in its elevated position, and means actuated by Huid-pressure to act on said locking device and release the said` piston, substantially as described. x

8. In a filter, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank or vessel to contain the filter-bed, a central well, and a plurality of gutter castings or wells arranged about the lower part of the tank or vessel, and independent pipes connecting the said guttercastings with the central well, substantially as described.

9. In a filter, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank or vessel, a filter-bed therein, a central well consisting of an upper chamber c, a lower chamber c provided with a water-outlet opening, a pipe c4 integral with the walls of the lower chamber and communicating with the upper chamber, a supply-pipe connected to the pipe c4, and an outlet-pipe connected to the outlet-opening for the chamberc, substantially as described.

10. In a filter, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank or vessel, a filter-bed therein, a central well consisting of an upper chamber c, a lowerchamber c provided with a water-outlet opening, a pipe cA1 integral with thewalls of the lower chamber and IOO communicating with the upper chamber, a

supply-pipe connected to the pipe c, and an outlet-pipe connected to the outlet-opening for the chamber c', branch pipes t 5, (P2 connected to the supply and outlet pipes, and valves in I said supply, outlet, and branch pipes, substantially as described.

11. In a filter, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank or vessel, a filter-bed therein, a central well, and aseries of gutter wells or castings arranged about the lower part of the circumferential wall of the said tank with the inner faces in substan tially the same circle, filling pieces inserted between adjacent gutter-Wells and having their inner faces in substantially the saine circle as the inner faces of the gutter-wells, and means to connect the gutter-wells with the central well, substantially as described.

12. In a filter, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank or vessel, a filter-bed therein, a central well consisting,r of a casting having a flange at its upper end provided with ports to connect the filter-tank with a chamber c' in said casting below the bottom of said tank or vessel, a pipe c4 integral with said casting, a pipe C112 located below the bottom of the iilter-tank and connected to the pipe c4, and a pipe allocated below the bottom of the filter-tank and connected with the chamber c', substantially as described.

13. The combination with a rotatable cylinder provided with longitudinal slots or guideways, of a piston reciprocating within said cylinder having lugs or projections extended into said slots o`r guideways to enable said piston to be rotated while it is being reciprocated in said cylinder, substantially as dcscribed.

14. The combination'of the following instrumentalities, viz: a rotatable cylinder, a piston adapted to be reciprocated therein, and means to positively connect said piston to said cylinder to eiect rotation of the pist-on While it is being reciprocated in the said cylinder, substantially as described.

15. In a lter, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank or Vessel, a filter-bed contained therein, a rotatable agitator, a cylinder and apiston located therein and connected thereto to rotate therewith, and means to rotate said cylinder, piston and agitator, substantially as and for the purpose specified. l

In testimony whereof we have signed our 55 names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANKLIN AGGE. WALTER B. NYE.

Witnesses JAS. II. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY. 

